Church Music Association Concert: 2nd

“The Church Music Association gave their second concert of the season last night and produced Schumann’s Mass in C minor and Gade’s cantata ‘The Erl King’s Daughter,’ besides which the orchestra played Weber’s Jubel Overture. The Mass is wrongly described in the programme as an entire novelty to this city, while even of the overture we are told that it has not been played in New-York for some years. The Vocal Society, however, gave a performace of the ‘Kyrie’ and ‘Gloria’ of this Mass not very long ago, and sang them much better than they were sung last night, and as for the overture, that of course is one of the stock pieces familiar to our concert rooms. We rate Schumann’s Mass as one of the noblest of modern church compositions since Beethoven. It is conceived in a grand and severe ecclesiastical spirit, and abounds in passages of magnificent solemnity as well as in deep religious feeling; and if it fell last night upon an unsympathetic audience that was partly because its interpretation was so painfully and even surprisingly inadequate. It has no solos of any note, and the ladies and gentlemen of the chorus were entirely beyond their depth in a composition of this character. It was not only that they sang incorrectly, and timidly, and without a particle of life or spirit, but they gave us no reason to suppose that they appreciated the work they had in hand, discerned its exquisite beauties, or cared about expressing its meaning. In ‘The Earl King’s Daughter’ their performance was not so dreadfully colorless, but it was still far from good. Gade’s work is dreamy, and we might almost say sentimental in character, and there is, perhaps, a little sameness in the ideas; but the treatment of his poetic and graceful phrases is charmingly varied, and his workmanship is always highly finished and artistic. There are several numbers—the opening chorus, for example, the motive of which recurs again in the finale; the song of Oluf, ‘When thro’ the Meadows,’ and the Morning Hymn—which will catch the popular ear directly.”

“The concerts of this organization are always numerously and fashionably attended, as many of the members belong to select circles of society in this city. The well known concert hall last evening presented a brilliant and attractive appearance, both on the stage and in the auditorium, where evening dress was the rule. The programme consisted of [see above]. The two last mentioned works [by Schumann and Gade] were, we understand, presented for the first time in this city. The mass is not a composition calculated to give a favorable impression of the undeniable musical talents of the composer. Evidently, Schumann wandered, for once, into precincts foreign to him. The magnificent poetry of the divine service, comprised in the ‘Kyrie,’ ‘Gloria,’ ‘Credo,’ ‘Sanctus’ and ‘Agnus Dei,’ is entombed in this musical sarcophagus so effectually that not a glimpse of it is afforded. The music is dull, heavy, monotonous and uninteresting, and one cannot distinguish in the unvarying sombreness, any difference between ‘Gloria in escelsis’ and ‘Passus et sepultus est.’ The utter want of color or expression, combined with the slipshod, uncertain, shambling manner in which both chorus and orchestra drifted along in the rendering of the mass, tended to strengthen the unfavorable opinion which the dull music engendered to a remarkable degree. As well might any piece of orchestral writing be taken at random to illustrate such sublime subjects as the clever, correct measures of Schumann. It is entirely unworthy of such an eminent maestro. The much abused word ‘ecclesiastical’ was applied to it in the elaborate programme furnished on the occasion, although this term is seldom understood by writers of church music. Ecclesiastical music is not necessarily at variance with the spirit of the subjects it proposes to illustrate. We have outlived the age when church music meant a nasal twang and a sanctimonious drawl. The stirring truths of the Gospel, as vividly pictured in the words of the ‘Credo,’ for instance, demand equally vivid and expressive music. Dramatic, it may be, but it should be true to its subjects. Schumann’s mass is entirely deficient in this essential element.

Gade’s cantata resembles Mendelssohn’s music so closely that at times it is hard to avoid preferring the charge of absolute plagiarism. Where the music of Max Bruch in the ‘Odyssey’ leans towards the grand model, of which death so ruthlessly deprived the world before absolute maturity, Gade’s measures seem to be bodily taken, leaving no margin for originality. Yet the work is enjoyable and graceful, and why not, founded on Mendelssohn? But as the programme says, ‘Long may he live to enjoy the celebrity (?) of his former works, and to produce others more worthy of fame.’

The solo parts in the two vocal works were entrusted to Mrs. P. D. Gulager, soprano (a very deserving artist), Miss Antonia Henne, contralto, and Mr. F. Remmertz, baritone. These three vocalists did their share of the work conscientiously. We cannot say the same of the chorus and orchestra. Both important elements were wanting in spirit, expression, correct phrasing, color, and even ordinary precision of tone. Want of careful rehearsals was conspicuous. The concert commenced with the immortal overture of Weber, composed for the King of Saxony’s wedding.

There were some novel features in the eight page programme distributed among the audience. One was that Weber’s overture was not played for some years in New York, although few concerts have been given this season in which it did not occupy a prominent place. A general tirade against critics was another feature. The conundrums were propounded in this wise:--‘Where would Wagner be if Meyerbeer had not lived?’’Where Handel without the seventeenth century?’ ‘A peculiar vein of melancholy pervades the national melodies of Scotland, Denmark, &c.’ ‘The chorus in A major and minor will greatly please the audience.’ The last assertion was unfortunately not carried out by the result of the rendering of the above mentioned chorus. Mr. C. E. Horsely conducted on this occasion with abundant earnestness and vigor.”

“The second concert given by the Church Music Association this season took place at Steinway HallTuesday. It was not a very interesting affair. The Executive Committee deserves credit for bringing out unfamiliar works, but its selections are rarely fortunate, and the latest programme lacked both charm and character. The first part of the entertainment was occupied by Schumann’s Mass in C minor, and the second by Gade’s cantata, ‘The Erl King’s Daughter.’ The severity of the style of the mass renders it quite unfit for the concert-room, and its uneven recital by a chorus large to the eye and small to the ear made its close a rather gratifying episode. The cantata, whereof the story, after an old Danish ballad, is narrated in a series of solos and choral movements, produced a more favorable impression. It is not, however, a remarkable achievement, consisting of an almost unbroken succession of recitatives, provided with graceful and flowing accompaniments, but devoid of coloring. ‘The Erl King’s Daughter’ was fairly interpreted. Mr. Remmertz’s fine voice—although under imperfect control—is always pleasant to listen to, and the elocution of the gentleman was especially welcome Tuesday night; Mrs. Gulager sang with her wonted power, and Miss Henne ws quite equal to her share of the evening’s task. A brilliant audience, as usual, filled the place, and bestowed upon the performance an attention only interrupted by references to the circulars relating to the music chosen for execution. If these circulars were prepared with care and judgment, they might be of positive value. In the one before us it would have been far better to deal with the merits of Schumann’s mass than to waste space upon an attempt to sustain the proposition that ‘an anonymous critic can hardly hope for respect.’ The absence of a signature would, in this instance at least, have saved ‘C. E. H.’ from a comparison with Dogberry under circumstances not flattering to that person’s intelligence.” 

“On Tuesday evening the Church Music Association gave its second concert of this season, presenting Schumann’s Mass in C minor and Gade’s cantata, ‘The Erl King’s Daughter.’

The former composition is one of the highest and gravest vocal works of its class ever given in this city. Nothing more worthy has thus far been done by this association, and nothing that reflects upon them greater credit for the spirit in which it has been accomplished. For not only is the music itself noble and as severely beautiful as ‘Palestrina,’ but it is full of manifold difficulties of execution. Moreover, it is music in the performance of which no society could look to find a very cordial response from the public, for several reasons. Among them the prominent ones are that it was not written with a view to satisfy the popular ear so much as the religious heart. It is the music of the church and not of the concert room—ornament has been avoided, not sought for. The sopranos and altos in many parts lie so low as to deprive the music of all brilliancy. There are, strictly speaking, no dramatic points. The ‘Kyrie’ is an expression of the deepest devotion; the ‘Gloria’ rises to heights of great sublimity; the ‘Credo’ is a severe announcement of faith, bare, unswerving, stern, and uncompromising, and a faith that is not to be turned aside and that seeks no sensuousness or sentimentality to give it life. The music, as we have said, is of unusual difficulty. Intervals of the ninth and tenth and passages instrumental in their character are not uncommon.

It is for these reasons that we believe that a chorus of amateurs deserve cordial praise for the enthusiasm for art that has kept them faithful to their rehearsals until they have mastered the work. This they have done under the unremitting and we believe unremunerated labors of their conductor Mr. Horsley. We do not say that the work was perfectly done. There are those who have remarked in its performance an absence of color and expression. But surely Schumann did not purpose to give great warmth and color to this music. No man could write more passionately than he when the occasion called for it—witness his Frauenliebe und Leben. But to this religious work he evidently sought to give a calmer and more even spirit.

The second part of the concert consisted of Gade’s version of the ‘Erl King’s Daughter,’ founded on legends of his own Denmark. The music was replete with delicate beauty and graceful fancy—not seeming especially powerful coming after the work of so great a master as Schumann, but certainly more fully satisfying the popular requirements of a concert. The solos were admirably sung by Mrs. Gulager, Miss Henne, and Herr Remmertz.” [Reprinted Dwight’s Journal of Music, 03/07/74, pp. 191-92]